By KIRK PENTON, WINNIPEG SUN
Jon Quinit laughed when asked if he's ever been forced to use his martial arts or boxing skills outside of the gym.
"Maybe," Quinit said with a sly grin before a training session on Saturday at the United Boxing Club in Winnipeg's Osborne Village.
Even though he's 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds soaking wet, it's safe to say he wasn't messed with much during his high school days.
"I guess you could say that," Quinit said, chuckling once more.
Message received.
One of Quinit's coaches, Kent Brown, refers to his pupil as a mini-Manny Pacquiao, the world welterweight champ from the Philippines who is regarded as the top pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.
Quinit, a second-year University of Manitoba student who hopes to get into the Asper School of Business, is also of Filipino descent, but unlike Pacquiao, who is on top of the boxing world, he's just getting started.
The 19-year-old, who has been in the sport for only two years, will defend his Canadian 106-pound crown this week at the Canadian senior boxing championships in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.
Quinit lost in the semifinal round at last year's nationals, but he earned a spot on the national squad -- and became the official 106-pound Canadian champ -- at the Final Team Selection tournament in Edmonton.
If he can win this week, he will automatically go back on the national team. If he doesn't, he'll have to attend the FTS tournament again next month.
"So this is the big one," Quinit said.
Normally the defending champ has the target on his back, but Quinit isn't a big believer in that theory.
"It's a huge advantage, for sure," he said. "I won't have as much pressure. They're going against the champ. They have to come chase me. They're trying to get to my spot."
The St. Paul's High School grad didn't have to throw a punch at last year's FTS tournament when one fighter failed to make weight and the other didn't show up, but he proved he was national team material in September when he won bronze at the Francophone Games in Lebanon. His most impressive victory at the event was a quarter-final win over Redouane Bouchtouk, a two-time Olympian from Morocco.
Brown believes Quinit is a much better fighter now than he was a year ago.
"Night and day," Brown said. "He's more refined, more explosive and understands the computer system."
Quinit started out in combat arts when he was five years old, taking the Filipino martial art called Sikaran and sticking with it until he was 13 or 14. He started boxing at 16 after his older brother Brad, who will also compete in Quebec this week, started taking lessons at the Orioles club.
"He'd come home and teach me some stuff," Quinit said. "I wasn't really interested until just recently, two years ago, but now it's just my love. It's my passion."
'AMAZING FOOTWORK'
Brown said Quinit's martial arts background is a reason why he was able to beat a two-time Olympian only two years into his amateur boxing career.
"He had that base, understanding footwork," Brown said. "He has amazing footwork. This kid can move."
Quinit has put together a dream book to map out his goals in the sport. The pinnacle is the Summer Olympics in London in 2012, although he'll likely have to move up a weight class since the 106-pound group isn't part of the Olympic competition.
The next stop on that journey is winning a Canadian title this week in a field that includes three other fighters, including last year's national championship gold medallist Benoit Fleury of Quebec.
"Hopefully I make the team again so I get experience for the Olympics," Quinit said. "I want to go to the 2012 Olympics for sure. That's the main goal right now.
"But being on the team will give me the experience that I need to perform well or at least go to the Olympics."
Brown was adamant that Quinit's Olympic dreams are realistic.
"It's there, and it's a true shot," Brown said. "He beat a two-time Olympian in a major games. So absolutely. The shot's there."
Jon and Brad Quinit are two of 11 Manitobans who will vie for national titles in Quebec this week. The others are United's Brandt Butt, the defending 140-pound champ, Kelly Page and Crystal Brown, Crescentwood's Andy Gardiner, Ryan Walkoski, Katie Saull and Rawleigh Clements-Willis, Alliance's Roberto Mendoza and Kyle Gross of Whitemouth.
Brown is the team's head coach and will be assisted by Gareth Sutherland, while Cheryl Conklin will serve as manager.
"We have a large team, and it's a strong, strong team," Brown said. "Everybody's in great shape, and we're going to bring back some hardware."
kirk.penton@sunmedia.ca
JON QUINIT
- Sport: boxing
- Club: United Boxing Club
- Weight class: 106 lbs.
- Age: 19
- Height: 5-foot-4
- Weight: 120 lbs.
- Sports idols: Gabriel (Flash) Elorde and Francisco Guilledo
- Fun Fact: Quinit says world champ Manny Pacquiao is an inspiration for Filipino fighters everywhere. While he wants to see Pac-Man take on Floyd Mayweather Jr., he had to talk himself into thinking Pac-Man would win. "I don't know. That'd be a tough one ... no, I think Pacquiao's too fast, and him being a southpaw would give Mayweather trouble."
Source: winnipegsun.com
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